美国国家公共电台 NPR--Thanatologists are trying to recruit a new generation of people to the field

Thanatologists are trying to recruit a new generation of people to the field

Transcript¹

Many hospitals employ thanatologists, someone who plays music, usually a harp², for people who are dying. The nation's lone³ school for the trade aims to recruit younger people to the career.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Among the industries struggling to find workers - music thanatology. It's a rare occupation that uses music to comfort people who are dying. Katia Riddle⁴ reports from Portland, Ore.

KATIA RIDDLE, BYLINE⁵: It's been a rich life for Walt Nupen. He spent decades teaching U.S. history and government to high schoolers. He still adores his wife, Suzanne. Now, at 95 years old, his organs are starting to fail. He's in what's called comfort care. This last stage of life, he says, it's vulnerable.

WALT NUPEN: And I'm very susceptible⁶ to emotion and beauty.

RIDDLE: On this day, he's at Providence⁷ St. Vincent's Hospital. Two music thanatologists wheel harps⁸ into his room. Laura Moya is one.

LAURA MOYA: And we're just going to play a little bit of music for you.

RIDDLE: They set up at the foot of his hospital bed.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

RIDDLE: Nupen weeps silently as he listens.

MOYA: (Singing) We sing our love to you. We sing this love to you.

RIDDLE: Afterward⁹, Nupen tells the musicians their concert was like falling snowflakes.

NUPEN: Snowflakes are beautiful, and they fall with such grace, as do your notes and your music.

RIDDLE: He says it's hard to explain his gratitude¹⁰ for them.

NUPEN: You don't know what joy you bring to me and I'm sure anybody else whose hearts have been touched by those strings¹¹.

MOYA: We were really responding to Walt's emotional state at that point.

RIDDLE: Music thanatologist Laura Moya says she thinks of the music as medicine. It was a kind of lullaby they played for Nupen.

MOYA: Who knows his understanding of the exact text, but he got the feeling.

RIDDLE: Music thanatology as a clinical practice has only been around for about 50 years. At least one study suggests it has meaningful benefits for patients. But these practitioners¹² can be hard to come by.

JENNIFER BURROWS¹³: There's not a lot of them around.

RIDDLE: Jennifer Burrows is the chief executive at this hospital. She says she'd like to hire a lot more music thanatologists. St. Vincent's is Catholic. Burrows says the musicians help to fulfill¹⁴ the spiritual part of their mission.

BURROWS: The skills they bring are an important part of how we foster wellness and in how we support people in their final moments on Earth.

RIDDLE: There are fewer than 100 music thanatologists in the entire country. Many are near retirement¹⁵. That's why the group Music Thanatology Association International has started a new training program based in Oregon - Accorda Music-Thanatology Institute. It will be the only state-licensed program. Laura Moya says helping¹⁶ people die peacefully - it's a calling.

MOYA: We are hoping that younger people will be wanting to find that meaningful work.

RIDDLE: In fact, it's not unusual for people to die in the very moments Moya is playing her harp for them.

MOYA: I mean, it's such a privilege in that time frame because it's so intimate and it is so sacred.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

RIDDLE: Playing for someone in their last moments, it's a chance to give a final gift, she says, one she hopes a new generation of music thanatologists will be able to keep giving.

For NPR News, I'm Katia Riddle in Portland, Ore.

(SOUNDBITE OF LUDOVICO EINAUDI'S "FOUR DIMENSIONS")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 harp   

n.竖琴；天琴座

参考例句：

• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
• He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。

3 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

4 riddle   

n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜

参考例句：

• The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
• Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

7 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

8 harps   

abbr.harpsichord 拨弦古钢琴n.竖琴( harp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She continually harps on lack of money. 她总唠叨说缺钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He could turn on the harps of the blessed. 他能召来天使的竖琴为他奏乐。 来自辞典例句

9 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

10 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

11 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

12 practitioners   

n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师）

参考例句：

• one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction 最了不起的科幻小说家之一
• The technique is experimental, but the list of its practitioners is growing. 这种技术是试验性的，但是采用它的人正在增加。 来自辞典例句

13 burrows   

n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻

参考例句：

• The intertidal beach unit contains some organism burrows. 潮间海滩单元含有一些生物潜穴。 来自辞典例句
• A mole burrows its way through the ground. 鼹鼠会在地下钻洞前进。 来自辞典例句

14 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

15 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

16 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。